"I don't like the sea much, Ready; I wish we were safe on shore again,"
replied the lad. "But sometimes ships do sink, and then everybody is drowned." "Yes; and very often the very ships sink which those on board think are
most safe. We can only do our best, and after that we must submit to
the will of Heaven." You seldom see them except in a
storm, or when a storm is coming on." He could navigate a vessel, and, of
course, he could read and write. "I didn't care," replied Tommy, "only I spilt all my soup. "It was a mercy that poor Albert was not killed," observed Mrs
Seagrave. "She saved the child,
and, I fear, hurt herself." "I thump my head very hard," said Juno, smiling. "Yes, and it's lucky that you have a good thick woolly coat over it,"
replied Captain Osborn, laughing. Come here, Romulus! Here,
Remus!--Remus!" They were the first kings of Rome, and reigned together. "Yes," replied William, "it is the remains of the old city." "Well, one lives and learns," said Ready. "I always do, papa. Do I not ask you questions, Ready?" "That I will, ma'am," said Ready, putting his quadrant on the capstan:
"now, Juno, give me the child, and go down first;--backwards, you stupid
girl! "And break my head," said Juno. "Yes, or break your arm; and then who is to hold the child?" As soon as they were all down in the cabin, the captain and Mr Seagrave
marked the position of the vessel on the chart, and found that they were
one hundred and thirty miles from the Cape of Good Hope. "Juno, perhaps you may see your father and mother." said William. "Yes, and sometimes you will see the white clouds rolling down over the
top of it in a very curious manner, and that the sailors call spreading
the tablecloth: it is a sign of bad weather." We have
had bad weather enough already, and mamma suffers so much from it. As soon as they landed, they went up to a gentleman's
house, with whom Captain Osborn was acquainted. said Tommy. I want to see a lion." "No, I won't," said Tommy. As soon as they entered the gates, Tommy escaped from Captain Osborn,
and ran away in his hurry to see the lions; but Captain Osborn caught
him again, and held him fast by the hand. They strike them with their feet, and with such force as to
kill them immediately." "Yes, and very venomous snakes," replied Mr Seagrave; "so that these
birds are very useful in destroying them. "But some animals are too large or too fierce to be destroyed by others,
papa; for instance, the elephant and the lion." cried Tommy, who was terribly
frightened. "What did you do, Tommy?" "I won't throw any more stones, Mr Lion; I won't indeed!" cried Tommy,
looking terrified towards the animal. CHAPTER FOUR. "What great bird is that, Ready?" Their wings are very
long. They were then using this oil
to make their feathers waterproof." "What think you, Mackintosh?" As soon as they were
all gone, Ready went up again to Captain Osborn and said:
"Captain Osborn, it's not for me to contradict Mr Mackintosh, but
that's of little consequence in a time like this: I should have held to
my opinion, had it not been that the gentleman passenger and his son
were standing by, but now, as the coast is clear, I tell you that we
shall have something worse than a gale of wind. Get the trysail aft and bent, and lower down the gaff. As soon as they could recover
from the shock, Ready and the first mate hastened to the wheel to try to
get the ship before the wind; but this they could not do, as, the
foremast and mainmast being gone, the mizenmast prevented her paying off
and answering to the helm. CHAPTER FIVE. The countenance of Captain Osborn showed great anxiety: he had a heavy
responsibility on his shoulders--he might lose a valuable ship, and
still more valuable cargo, even if they did not all lose their lives;
for they were now approaching where the sea was studded with low coral
islands, upon which they might be thrown by the waves and wind, without
having the slightest power to prevent it in their present disabled
condition. Ready was standing by him when Captain Osborn said--
"I don't much like this, Ready; we are now running on danger and have no
help for it." "You are right," replied Captain Osborn; "but hold hard, Ready, that
sea's aboard of us." "See, my child," said Mr Seagrave, "the wreck and devastation which are
here. "But, father," said Willy, after a pause, "how shall we ever get to
Sydney without masts or sails?" How is
Madam, sir?" continued Ready to Mr Seagrave. "Yes, William, they are the words of an old man who has seen many and
many a one who was full of youth and spirits called away before him, and
who is grateful to God that he has been pleased to preserve his life,
and allow him to amend his ways." "And a pretty mistake they make of it, sir. "Massa Tommy is a very naughty boy," cried Juno, rubbing her leg. They were regardless of his injunctions or requests, and
they now consulted among themselves. "Yes," replied one of the men, "and the ship is going down fast, that's
quite as certain." "A good spell at the pumps would do us some good now," replied Ready. "A glass of grog or two would do us more," replied the seaman. "What
d'ye say, my boys? "What do you mean to do, my lads?" "Perhaps she may--I will not deny it," said Mackintosh; "but that is no
reason why we should not be saved: now, if you get drunk, there is no
chance of any one being saved, and my life is precious to me. replied one of the seamen, surlily. "Because two resolute men can do a great deal--I may say three, for in
this instance Ready will be of my side, and I can call to my assistance
the cabin passenger--recollect the firearms are all in the cabin. Now we cannot be
very far from some of the islands, indeed I think we are among them now. Ready, do I give good advice or not?" "Well, my lads, I agree with you," said Mackintosh. "Yes," replied the seamen, unanimously; and Ready knew that it was in
vain to expostulate. They now set about preparing the boat, and
providing for their wants. As this was done, Mr Seagrave came on deck and looked around
him. "What is all this, Ready?" "Are they going to leave the ship? "No, sir,--not quite so bad as that. I've seen all this
before in my time," replied Ready, gravely. Don't you think so, Ready?" "What must be done, then, Ready?" "No, Mr Seagrave. "As God pleases, Mr Seagrave. "Nonsense, Ready! come into the boat," replied the first mate. "I shall stay here, Mr Mackintosh; and I only beg that you will promise
me what I ask. "Yes, I do, if you are determined to stay; but," continued he, going up
to Ready, and whispering to him, "it is madness:--come away, man!" Master
William can be trusted, and if you will send him here to me, I will talk
to him." William made a sign to his father that his mother was asleep, and then
said in a whisper, "I did not like to leave the cabin while you were on
deck, but the steward has not been here these two hours: he went to milk
the goat for baby and has not returned. We have had no breakfast, none
of us." "I do." "It's twelve o'clock, sir. thy will, not mine, be done." "Why so, Ready?" "There is very little wind now." "Well, let us hope that there will be more," replied Ready; "if not, we
must do our best. But I must now go to the helm, for we must steer
right for the island; it would not do to pass it, for, Mr Seagrave,
although the ship does not leak so much as she did, yet I must now tell
you that I do not think that she could be kept more than twenty-four
hours above water. Now, sir, I cannot well see them as I
steer, so do you go forward, and if I am to steer more to the right, put
out your right hand, and if to the left, the same with your left; and
when the ship's head is as it ought to be, then drop the hand which you
have raised." "I understand, Ready," replied Mr Seagrave; who then went forward and
directed the steering of the vessel as they neared the island. They were now within a
cable's length, and still the ship did not ground; a little nearer, and
there was a grating at her bottom--it was the breaking off of the
coral-trees which grew below like forests under water--again she grated,
and more harshly, then struck, and then again; at last she struck
violently, as the swell lifted her further on, and then remained fast
and quiet. "What is the matter, my dear,--and where have you all been?" exclaimed
Mrs Seagrave, when her husband went down below. Tell me, are you not better
for your long sleep?" "Yes, much better--much stronger; but do tell me what has happened." "Yes, on shore. I beg your pardon, Mr Seagrave, I hope I have
not offended you; but, indeed, sir, I felt that it was my duty to speak
as I have done." "There now, Mr Seagrave, you may go down
below. There, that will do for the present," said old Ready, getting up. As soon as Ready had executed his intentions, and had fed the animals,
he went to the cabin and called Mr Seagrave and William. The boat was turned over, and Ready commenced his work; while Mr
Seagrave, at his request, put the pitch-pot on the galley fire, all
ready for pitching the canvas when it was nailed on. "What do you say, Ready?" "Very well, Ready, I will first run down and tell my wife." "That," said Ready, pointing to it, "must be our location. As soon as they arrived on board, Mr Seagrave went down to cheer his
wife with the account of what they had seen. "Now, Mr Seagrave, I'll remain on shore with you a little. Juno, you can carry the tools; and then we can
come back again for the spars, and the rope, and the other things. Now, sir, I'll just help you
to lash the spars, and then I'll leave you to finish while I go on board
again." "Yes; and in the meantime, Juno, take a shovel, and level the inside of
the tent nice and smooth, and throw out all those old cocoa-nut leaves,
and look if you see any vermin lurking among them. "Do, pray," replied Mr Seagrave. As soon as they arrived on board, Mr Seagrave went down to his wife to
propose her going on shore. "You are ill, are you not, Ready?" said William. "A little faint, William; I'm not so young as I was. He stepped out of the tent, and looked around him. "Had I not better call Juno, father?" said William; "I think I can,
without waking mamma, if she is asleep." "But, father, how are we to light the fire? "No; but there are other ways, William, although, in most of them,
tinder is necessary. "But, father, when we have lighted the fire, what have we to cook? we
have no tea or coffee." "But we have potatoes, father." "Yes, William, but don't you think it would be better if we made our
breakfast off the cold beef and pork and ship's biscuit for once, and
not use the potatoes? we may want them all to plant, you know. Come, William." "You are a good boy, William," replied Mr Seagrave. "I will now take
those things up to the boat, and then return for the rest." "Yes, if we only had lines," replied Mr Seagrave. William made some
touch-paper, which he lighted with one of the glasses from the
telescope, and they soon had a good fire. "Ready, have you had
sleep enough?" said William, as the old man sat up. "Yes, William. "Do," replied William, laughing. Ready was soon dressed, for he had only taken off his jacket when he lay
down. "Good-morning, Ready!" "Oh, what an escape they have had!" cried Mrs Seagrave, shuddering. As soon as we can get as much as we want from the
ship, we must decide whether we shall stay here or not." "So we can, sir; but we must not lose this fine weather to get a few
things from the ship. "He was not far off; I reckon," replied Ready. As soon as the pigs were in the boat, Ready sculled it on shore, while
Mr Seagrave and William brought up the goats and sheep ready for the
next trip. They were not at all sorry, after their hard day's work, to find that
Juno had prepared coffee for them; and while they were drinking it, they
narrated to Mrs Seagrave the tragically death of the poor pig by the
shark. said William. "Oh, yes, sir, and with more ease than you would think. "Why, what are the great merits of the cocoa-nut tree?" "Yes, William, there's no want of them; and I am glad of it, for had
there been but few, I should not have liked to destroy them. "Surely not both of you, my dear," interrupted Mrs Seagrave. said Mr Seagrave. "No, sir, I do not think that would be right either,--some accident
might happen; there is no saying what might happen, although there is
every appearance of safety. "Take me," said Tommy. "Take you, Tommy!" "And which would you prefer, Ready?" "Indeed, I do not like it; I would rather lose Juno for a time," replied
Mrs Seagrave. "No, ma'am," replied Ready, "William will do just as well. "Pardon me," replied Mrs Seagrave; "a mother is foolish at times." "The next is to prepare for our journey. Juno, put a piece of beef and a piece of pork
into the pot. said Mr Seagrave. said Mr Seagrave. CHAPTER FOURTEEN. Ready was up before the sun had appeared, and he awakened William. As soon as the knapsacks were on, Ready took the axe and gun, and asked
William if he thought he could carry a small spade on his shoulder,
which they had brought on shore along with the shovels. what, set fire to them?" replied William. "No, no, William. "But I have another friend in my pocket," replied Ready, "and I must use
him soon." "What is that?" "I understand that very well; but tell me, Ready, why do you bring the
spade with us--what will be the use of it? "You think of everything, Ready." "And where are we going to now, Ready?" "No, I cannot," replied William, as he held up his finger. "Then wet your finger, and try again." "Yes, I feel it now,"
said he; "but why is that?" "Because the wind blows against the wet, and you feel the cold." "What can be there?" cried William. Here, Romulus! here, Remus! continued Ready, calling to the dogs. Recollect, also,
until you want to fire, never cock your gun." "Don't give the dogs any water, William, nor any of the salt meat; give
them biscuit only." "No: we shall want it all ourselves, in the first place; and, in the
next, I wish them to be thirsty. And, William, take my advice, and only
drink a small quantity of water at a time. The more you drink, the more
you want." "But we have our axes, and can always cut down a cocoa-nut, and get the
milk from the young nuts." "I am very glad to find the island is not so flat here; we have a better
chance of finding water." "About eight, I should think." "It does, Ready; I fancy I can see the blue sky again." They now descended into a small hollow, and then went up hill again. CHAPTER FIFTEEN. "It is very beautiful," replied Ready, thoughtfully. The line of the horizon, far out
at sea, was clear and unbroken. As soon as their meal was finished they first walked down
to the water's edge, and Ready turned his eyes inland to see if he could
discover any little ravine or hollow which might be likely to contain
fresh water. "Put your finger to it, Master William," said Ready. "Why, it's flesh, and alive!" cried William, pointing to the sand--"that round
dark thing?" They come up
about this time in the evening to drop their eggs, and then they bury
them in the sand." "That will be a very good plan," replied William. "What is that out there?" said William, pointing to the right of where
they stood. "That is another island, which I am very glad to see even in that
direction, although it will not be so easy to gain it, if we are obliged
to leave this for want of water. See, poor Remus is
licking the sides of the bottles." Good-night!" I don't
expect water above-ground, but there may be some below it. replied William. "Look, Ready, at Romulus and Remus--how hard they are digging with their
paws there in the hollow." "Because there is water there, poor animals. Ready walked quickly to where the dogs continued digging: they had
already got down to the moist earth, and were so eagerly at work, that
it was with difficulty he could get them out of his way to use his
spade. This was
the one thing wanting, but it was the one thing indispensable. See, the poor animals have had enough at last. Now, shall we go
back to breakfast?" "Yes," replied William: "I shall enjoy it now, and have a good drink of
water myself." "That is a plenteous spring, depend upon it," said Ready, as they walked
back to where they had slept and left their knapsacks; "but we must
clear it out further up among the trees, where the sun cannot reach it,
and then it will be cool, and not be dried up. As soon as the breakfast was over, Ready said, "Now we must go down and
explore the other point, for you see, William, I have not yet found a
passage through the reef, and as our little boat must come round this
side of the island, it is at the point on this side that I must try to
find an entrance. "Yes, I think so, for we shall only be idle here. It is not twelve
o'clock, I should think, and we shall have plenty of time. But
first let us go back and look at the spring, and see how the water
flows." said William, surprised. "I feel the wind now, Ready," observed William, "and we must be nearly
through the wood; but it appears to me to be very dark." "I was just thinking the same," replied Ready. "There is indeed a gale coming on," said Ready, as they cleared the
wood: "let us go on to the tents as fast as possible, for we must see
that all is as secure as we can make it." "I am sure of it," replied Ready, "and we must expect a blusterous
night. I should think not. He turned
round, but could not see, for he was blinded by the heavy rain. They set to work. "Look, Ready; what is that?" said William, who was with them,
as he pointed to a white-looking mass floating in the cove. "Yes, I do--what a quantity!" "Is not this beautiful, father?" said William. The spring was full and flowing, and the water excellent. They then
directed their steps towards the sandy beach, and, having walked some
time, sat down upon a coral rock. "Insects, father?" replied William. "Yes, insects. Give me that piece of dead coral, William. "I understand that." Is not this wonderful, my dear boy? They have not been coloured in this way to be admired,
like the works of man; for this island has been till now probably
without any one upon it, and no one has ever seen them. It makes no
difference to Him, who has but to wish, and all is complete." Neither was Mrs Seagrave, who was now getting quite strong, or Juno,
idle. "Indeed it is. The boat was soon unloaded, but they had some way to carry up the
things. "Tommy will go next time," said Master Tommy. "By and by, when Tommy grows a little taller," replied Ready. "Massa Tommy, you come help me to milk the goats," said Juno. Old Ready had his boat loaded and had made sail for the other side of
the island long before the family were up; indeed, before they were
dressed he had landed his whole cargo on the beach, and was sitting down
quietly taking his breakfast. As soon as he had eaten the beef and
biscuit which he had taken with him, he carried up the things which he
had brought, and commenced arrangements for setting up the tent,
intending to await the arrival of William and Juno, that they might
assist him in getting up the spars and canvas over it. said William laughing; "we have had
terrible work in the woods, for Nanny would run on one side of a tree
when I went on the other, and then I had to let go the string. We fell
in with the pigs again, and Juno gave such a squall!" "I tink 'em wild beast," said Juno. "I'll bring them with me to-morrow, William." "Mamma is much better than she was," replied William. "Why, what have we to do besides putting up the tents and shifting over
here?" that will be nice; where shall we make it, Ready?" "Yes, that is very true, Ready. "Well, let us once get mamma and the children here, and we will work
hard." "I
hope my life will be spared till it is done, at all events." you are an old man, but you are strong
and healthy." No--no, William! "So it is, William." "Yes, I was, William; he was a very rich man." "How old are you, Ready?" I could not
obtain employment on board of a vessel if it were not that I am well
known to several captains." "No, never, William; but in my early days I was as foolish as others. Now, Juno, you may bring in the bedding. "Had we not better make the fireplace all ready for cooking?" "It was what I was going to propose, if you had not. "Well, I will let Nanny go as soon as Juno has milked her. Now, Juno,
let us see how many stones we can carry at once." "That will do for to-morrow," said he, as
he stepped into the boat; and laying hold of the oars, he pulled out of
the bay to return to the cove. Ready arrived at the cove, and proceeded to the tents, where he found
the whole party listening to William, who was detailing what had been
done. As soon as Mrs
Seagrave was dressed, the tent was taken down, and, with all the
bedding, put into the boat. Ready arrived at the point, and was again on shore in less than
two hours after he had set off. As soon as the boat was safe in, he did
not wait to land his cargo, but going up to the turtle which he had
turned the day before, he killed it, and cleaned it on the beach. He released the poor fowls, and they were soon busy
seeking for food. As soon as
Madam has rested, we will have our dinner and then fix up our own tent,
which will be quite enough after such a hard day's work." As soon as I have made those three
trips in the boat, we can then work here altogether." "Oh yes, there is plenty for you to do." "Why, what is it, Ready?" "Indeed, it really is excellent; but it wants a little salt. Have you
any salt, Juno?" "Got a little, ma'am. Very little left," replied Juno. "Juno must get some more," replied Ready. "There's plenty out there, Juno," said Mr Seagrave, pointing to the
sea. "What do you mean, my dear?" "I am very glad to hear you say so; for I should feel the want of salt
very much," replied Mrs Seagrave, "I really never enjoyed a dinner so
much as I have to-day." As soon as they had
finished, Mrs Seagrave remained with the children; and Ready and Mr
Seagrave, assisted by Juno and William, got the second tent up, and
everything ready for the night. "I trust that feeling will be stronger every day, sir; for it's no use,
and indeed sinful, to repine." "I acknowledge it, and with all humility. What is the first thing which
you wish we should set about?" "I think, sir, the first object is to have a good supply of fresh water;
and I therefore wish you and William--Here he is. "I understand," replied Mr Seagrave; "that shall be our task while you
are absent." "I feel that I could live here for ever, it is so calm and beautiful;
but I miss one thing--there are no birds singing here as at home." Have you, William?" "Only once, father. Ready was not with
me, and I could not tell what they were; but they were large birds, as
big as pigeons, I should think. There is Ready coming round the point,"
continued William. "How fast that little boat sails! It is a long
pull, though, for the old man when he goes to the cove." "And now to finish our well," said William, as soon as dinner was over. "How hard you do work, William!" "So I ought, mother. "And that you will very soon," said Ready. "Why, father, the cask will float, you know," replied William. "To be sure it will as it is; but is there no way of making it sink?" "Oh yes. "Exactly," replied Ready. "I expected that we should have to do that,
and have the big gimlet with me." As soon as the top of the cask was level with the surface they filled in
all round with the spade and shovel, and the well was completed. My health and strength are
recovering fast, and I mean to be very useful. If I can do more I will." "You are right," replied Mr Seagrave; "but which ought to be done
first?" "In three or four weeks. "That is an excellent idea. "I expect that it will, sir. Suppose we make a signal for William and Juno, and set them to work." "There is the place," said Ready. "I hope so too, but there is nothing like being prepared; however, we
have plenty to do before we can think of that. Now, sir, as dinner is
ready, suppose we return, and after dinner we will both commence our
tasks." They were both very warm with their work, which was very
hard, but very eager to finish their task. "Berries," roared Tommy. Tell me, Tommy, did you eat them?" "Yes," cried Tommy. "I'm making a garden," replied Tommy. "But these are stones, not seeds." "I won't eat any more," replied Tommy. "But who is to climb up so high, Tommy? "No; but why don't Ready climb, or papa, or William?" "I like turtle-soup," replied Tommy. "I like fried fish," said Tommy; "why don't we have fried fish?" "Don't do that, Tommy; he'll butt at you, and hurt you." "I don't care," replied Tommy, holding the baby by one hand while he
continued to kick at Billy. The baby roared, and Tommy began to whimper. "Why don't you mind what is said to you, Tommy? "I don't care for him," replied Tommy, who perceived that the goat was
walking away. "No, you are very brave now that he has gone; but you're a very naughty
boy not to mind what is said to you." "Billy never butts at me, mamma," said Caroline. "Yes, but you should always be good," replied his mother. "I can't be always good," said Tommy; "I want my dinner." "There's Ready coming, with a bag on his shoulder," replied Tommy. cried Tommy. You are very warm, Ready." "William will like the trip, I do not doubt. As soon as the sun had disappeared, William and Ready went down to the
beach, and sat quietly on a rock. As soon as the turtle perceived them, it made for the water, but they
met it; and Ready, seizing hold of one of its fore-flippers, turned it
over on its back. "Why don't we catch some fish, Ready? "They would not stay there long, William, nor could we easily get them
out if they did. "But the fish will bite at night, will they not?" "Oh yes, and better than they do in the daytime." But I must go with you, William. We don't use much
candle, at all events." "What bait must we use, Ready?" "And whereabouts would you fish, Ready?" He
then walked to the point. "You did very wrong, William, to run the risk which you did. "There's your mother coming out of her tent," replied Ready. "Good-morning, madam. Do you know what William has done for you last
night? Look, here are two beautiful fish, and very excellent eating
they are, I can tell you." "I am quite delighted," replied Mrs Seagrave. They were not sorry when dinner was ready, for it was very hard work. "We have no time to lose, sir," said Ready to Mr Seagrave. It was late on the Saturday night that the family shifted into the new
house; and fortunate it was that they had no further occasion for delay,
for on the Sunday the first storm burst upon them; the wind blew with
great force; and, although they were shielded from it, still the
cocoa-nut trees ground and sawed each other's stems as they bent their
heads to its force. If so, what shall we do?" "No, madam; the sun will shine sometimes, but not for long at a time. We shall be able to get out and do something every now and then almost
every day, but still we shall have rain, perhaps, for many days without
intermission, and we must work indoors." "Indeed we ought," observed Mr Seagrave; "and it is, indeed, time for
us to read the service." I was going my morning's
round, but I will stay a little and help you." "Tank you, Massa Ready; plenty rain fell last night." Ready whistled to the dogs, who came bounding out, and then set off on
his round of inspection. "Let me see." "Why, where can Black Nanny be?" "Come, my little fellows, we must find some shelter for
you," said he, taking one up under each arm. "Come, Nanny." Ready walked back to the house, and brought in the kids, followed by
Nanny. As soon as Ready put
them down on the ground, Tommy and Caroline had each their arms round
one. As soon as the children could be persuaded to part with the kids, Nanny
was tied up in a corner, and was very content with fondling and nursing
her progeny. We have a great deal to do, and must not be
idle." Because
everything is in its place, and there is a place for everything." "You are very right, Ready; you must teach us to do the same," replied
Mr Seagrave. "What do you think we ought to do first?" Then there is the fish-pond to
make, and also a salt-pan to cut out of the rock. "Yes, I'll show her," said Tommy, getting on his feet. "No, sir, the rain won't do her any harm, but the sun will, when it
bursts out occasionally; for it's very powerful when it does shine, and
it would split her all to pieces." "I forgot that," replied William. She was hard pressed for it this morning, it was so wet; but, if once
piled up, it will soon be dry. As soon as Ready had hung up the curtains, he looked under the bedsteads
for a large bundle, and said, as he opened it, "I shall now decorate
Madam Seagrave's sleeping-place. "Indeed, Ready, I am much obliged to you," said Mrs Seagrave, when he
had finished; "it is really quite grand for this place." "Of course, you wish to know who my father and mother were: that is soon
told. I beg your pardon for the interruption,
Ready." "No, sir, strange to say, he did not; and that made people talk the
more. I
was too young to know what pain I was giving my mother, and how anxiety
was preying upon her, all on my account. "Young as I was, I swam like a duck, and put the rope into his hands
just as he was going down. "How happy that must have made you, Ready!" said William. "Yes, it did, but it made me also very proud. I could not bear that my mother should be under obligations to
him, or that he should pay for my schooling; it hurt my foolish pride,
young as I then was; and although my mother was happy, I was not. I did not see then, as I do now, that it was
all for my good but I became discontented and unhappy, merely because I
was obliged to pay attention to my learning, and could no longer have my
own way. I became more disobedient, and then I was punished. "It is; not that I repine at my lot, even while I regret the errors that
led to it. He threw them some split peas,
which he had brought with him. They were hungry enough and followed him
home to the house, where he left them and went to join Ready and his
father. There are four very thick cocoa-nut trees close to
the house; we will build it under them; it will be a good job over." Ready was requested to go on
with his history, which he did as follows:--
"I said last night that I determined to run away from school and go to
sea, but I did not tell you how I managed it. As soon as all
the other boys were fast asleep, I arose and dressed myself very
quietly, and then left the room. "It was, indeed, ma'am. As soon as I was landed in the flowerbed, which
was below, I hastened to the iron gates at the entrance, and soon
climbed up and got to the other side into the road. "`What do you want, youngster?' "He sculled the boat back again to the vessel, and I climbed up her
side. "`No, I am not,' replied I. Old Ready left off for some little time, and the remainder of the party
kept silence. As soon as they had planned the building, the axes and saw were in full
use, and tree after tree fell one upon the other. They worked hard till
dinner-time, and were not sorry at the prospect of sitting down to a
rich mess of turtle-soup. "Tommy and I are at variance," replied Mrs Seagrave. "Tommy, did you take the thimble?" said Mr Seagrave, gravely. "I'll find it by and by, papa." "I'll find it by and by, papa," said Tommy, whimpering. They were all very hungry, and William sent his
plate for another portion, which he had not commenced long before he put
his finger in his mouth and pulled out something. "Why, mother, here's the thimble in my soup," cried William. "No, he has not," replied William. "I think, now that the thimble is
found, if he begs pardon, papa will forgive him." "Tommy, come here," said Mr Seagrave. "I wanted to taste the soup. I wanted to fill the thimble; the soup
burnt my fingers, and I let the thimble drop in." "Well, a thimbleful wasn't much, at all events," observed Ready. that was it, was it? Well, sir, I said you should have no dinner
till the thimble was found, so, as it is found, you may have your
dinner; but if you ever refuse to answer a question again, I shall
punish you more severely." "I fear we shall; but we must expect it now, Ready." "Certainly, ma'am, if you wish it," replied Ready. "When I left off, I
was on board of the collier, bound to London. We had a very fair wind,
and a quick passage. I went on board with them, and offered
myself. "But you wrote to your mother, Ready, did you not?" said William. "It was not your fault that the letter did not arrive safe," said Mrs
Seagrave. "No, madam, that was not my fault; the fault had been committed before." "Be it so, if you please. We had to
wait some time for a convoy, and then sailed for England. "How do you mean?" "It is indeed, sir; I never knew a more terrible storm than this." "Yes, yes!" cried Mrs Seagrave, "all safe; Tommy has come to me; but
where is Juno? Juno answered not. William darted to the other side of the house, and
found Juno lying on her side, motionless. "She is dead, father," cried William. See, sir! "We have been most mercifully preserved," said Mr Seagrave. As soon as breakfast was over, Ready and
Mr Seagrave went out again to fix up the lightning-conductor, leaving
William to do the work of Juno, who still remained fast asleep in her
bed. "No, sir, but we shall require them both to get up and fix the wire;
after that we will cut down the other." "Never fear, sir," replied Ready; "I'm not so young as I was, but I have
been too often at the mast-head, much higher than this." "Yes," replied Mr Seagrave; "and we must put up another near the
outhouse, or we may lose our stores." "You understand this, William, don't you?" "What was your reason for going there, Ready?" "True enough, madam," replied Ready. Some of them were females, with young ones on their backs, and
they were just as active as the males. He had dropped from the rock above us, like magic. He gave a shrill cry,
and we perceived all the rest of the herd coming to him as fast as they
could. Five or six of
them came in, all males, and very large. As soon as
they had done with the bundle, two of them came towards the inner cave
and saw us. "Let us sit down on this knoll, it is quite dry," said Mrs Seagrave. "But, mamma, we shall not always have so much to do as we have now,"
said William. "Of course not," replied Mr Seagrave; "and then we shall find our books
a great source of enjoyment. "Yes, I have seen something like it in old books. "Yes, William," replied Mr Seagrave, "we have only to examine into any
portion, however small, of creation, and we are immediately filled with
wonder. "Yes, William," observed Ready; "I have often wondered over the things
that I have seen, and I have even in my ignorance felt what your papa
has now told you; and it has brought into my mind the words of Job:
`When I consider, I am afraid of him.'" "One of the most remarkable, William, is order." "Point out to me, papa, where and in what that quality is most
observable." "Yes; the stars in the heavens are beautiful," said William, "but they
are not placed there in order." "What do you mean, papa, by saying that this world of ours is supposed
to be but one of a multitude of created worlds?" "Yes," replied Mr Seagrave; "and it has been surmised by some, who have
felt in their hearts the magnificence of the Great Architect, that there
must be some point of view in space where all those glorious suns, which
seem to us confused in the heavens above us, will appear all
symmetrically arranged, will there be viewed in regular order, whirling
round in one stupendous and perfect system of beauty and design; and
where can that be, if it is not in that heaven which we hope to gain?" "No, my child," replied Mr Seagrave; "there you are in error. There are good men to be found
under every denomination, whether they be Jews, Mahomedans, or Pagans;
but they are not Christians." "And we are to explore the island; are we not, Ready?" said William. "I
long to do that." "Yes, William, but that must be almost the last job; for we shall be
away for two or three nights, perhaps, and we must look out for fine
weather. "But how are we to make the salt-pan, Ready? "Yes, William; but I have three or four of what they call cold chisels,
and with one of them and a hammer, we shall get on faster than you
think; for the coral rock, although hard at the surface, is soft a
little below it." We
must put our trust in God, sir." "We must, Ready; and if it is his will, we must not murmur. "Of course they will, sir; that's natural: however, sir, you must hope
for the best; fretting is no good, and it is sinful." "A woman, sir, bears adversity better than a man. After supper, Ready, being requested by William, continued his
narrative. Am I not right, Mr Seagrave?" As soon as she was a hundred yards off, Hastings crept
softly through the fence, and entered the farmhouse by the back-door; he
came out again, and made a sign for us to come in. "But how shall we carry them, Ready?" "We will sling a tub on the axle; I will go up and get that ready and
bring it down; in the meantime, you and Mr Seagrave can collect all the
stones which are near at hand." "What is that, Ready?" When I
was at St. Helena, not very long ago, we had a melancholy proof of it." "Tell us the story, Ready." "I really had no idea that they were so bold, Ready." said Mr Seagrave. "Never fear that, sir, as long as we have the sea to fish in. Dogs live
very well upon fish, even if it is raw." "I do so long to go on our exploring party," said William. William made no reply, but it was evident that he was annoyed at the
idea of not being of the party. They worked very hard that day, and the
walls rose fast out of the water. After supper, Ready continued his narrative. They were very
desolate; and when night came on we collected brushwood, and cut down
branches with our knives, that we might make a fire, not only to warm
ourselves, but to scare away the wild beasts, whose howling had already
commenced. As soon as
we had finished our meal, we lay down by the fire, with our muskets
loaded close to us, and our ammunition placed out of danger. I tried to catch at my musket, but I put out
my wrong hand, and laid hold of a still lighted brand out of the fire,
which I darted into the animal's face; it let me drop directly, and ran
away." "Yes, it was, ma'am; the animal was a hyena. said William. Well, sir, we had been travelling, we really
hardly knew where, but certainly in a northerly direction, for three
weeks, and were quite worn out: we now all agreed that we had done a
very foolish thing, and would gladly have gone back again. At
length, one morning, we fell in with a party of natives. They were of
the Karroo tribe, as they told us by pointing to themselves, and saying,
`Karroos', and then they pointed to us, and said `Dutch'. As soon as all the walls were finished,
Ready threw out sand and shingle, so as to make the part next to the
beach nearly as deep as the other; so that there might be sufficient
water to prevent the gulls and man-of-war birds from darting down, and
striking the fish. He was put into bed, and the next morning he was in
a violent fever. "I shall soon be strong again, Ready." "I have no doubt of it, William; and we have good reason to thank God,
for we could ill spare you." We went up; he
turned round and saw us: we levelled our muskets at him, and he stopped. `Yes,' cried I; `we
are only boys, but you've Englishmen to deal with.' As soon as Hastings was free, he seized a large wooden mallet, used for
driving in stakes, and struck the Dutchman down to the earth, crying
out, `That for flogging an Englishman, you rascal!' We had some adventures, nevertheless. "I have now to mention a most melancholy event which occurred. "I ought to have said that the Gorraguas told us not to travel by night,
but by day; and we had done so in consequence of their advice. "Yes, but not those very near us, I believe. I saw them once; and, at first, thought they were animals, and not human
beings." "Indeed, Ready; where may that be?" "In the Great Andaman Isles, at the mouth of the Bay of Bengal. "No, sir, I did not; but I met, at Calcutta, a soldier who had; for at
one time the East India Company intended making a settlement on the
island, and sent some troops there. "What is a typhoon, Ready?" "Yes, the extreme heat of the sun between the tropics rarefies the air
as the earth turns round, and the trade-winds are produced by the
rushing in of the less heated air." "Yes, William; and the trade-winds produce what they call the Gulf
Stream," observed Ready. I have heard it spoken of, papa." "What do you mean by the land and sea breezes in the West Indies, and
other hot climates, papa?" We call them the Horse latitudes--why, I do not know. But it is time
for us to leave off, and for Master William to go into the house." What we were afraid of was the sharks, which were so plentiful in
the harbour. However, the night before the convoy was to sail we made
up our minds that we would run the risk, for we were so impatient to
escape that we did not care for anything. against
my name on the books, as well as against that of poor Hastings." stands for dead,"
replied Ready; "and it was only through the mercy of Providence that I
was not so." "It was a miraculous escape indeed," observed Mr Seagrave. I tried to sleep, but could not--I was in agony. It was a glorious sight, and we were bound for Old
England. I asked, `for he was very rich, and
had no kin.' It is supposed that he was lost in a prize, for he
was traced so far. "`Very foolish indeed,' replied I. interrupted I, seizing the
gentleman by the arm. CHAPTER FORTY. "You haven't taken them all out of the nests, Juno; have you?" "No, no, William; your health is of more consequence than having early
chickens." "What can you mean, Ready?" I could not find any eggs,
but I found the egg-shells, hid under some cocoa-nut leaves; and I
argued, that if an animal, supposing there was any on the island, had
taken the eggs, it would not have been so careful to hide the
egg-shells. As soon
as he was in I let down the slide, and fastened it with a nail; so there
he is, caught in his own trap." "Yes, it will serve him right," replied Mrs Seagrave; "and be a lesson
to him." "Tommy won't suck eggs any more," said the urchin. `Yes, sir,' replied I, very sorrowfully,
`I am.' I found the wife at home, but she
did not know me; and I told her who I was. She put on her bonnet, and led me to the grave, and then, at my request,
she left me. "How do you mean a temptation? It surely was very fortunate, Ready,"
said William. "Yes, William, it was, as people say, fortunate, according to the ideas
of the world; every one congratulated me, and I was myself so inflated
with my good fortune, that I forgot all the promises of amendment, all
the vows of leading a good life, which I made over my poor mother's
grave. As soon as I had made known to him what had
taken place, he reasoned with me, pointed out to me that I had an
opportunity of establishing myself for life, and proposed that I should
purchase a part of a vessel, on condition that I was captain of her. "Fortunately, I had not spent above one hundred pounds of the money. They were satisfied with me, young as I was, and the bargain was made. CHAPTER FORTY ONE. They were each to have a musket and
ammunition, and a blanket was folded up to carry on the shoulders, that
they might sleep on it at night. Well,
sir, Sanders left me, and I felt quite happy at his departure. Well, sir, I made sail for England, and for three
weeks everything went on well. I hoped that he would not remember me, but he
did immediately, and held out his hand. Sanders perceived it, and asked me down into the
cabin. Well, sir, that good man, as long as he lived, was my
friend. When he died, I
continued second mate for some time, and then was displaced. CHAPTER FORTY TWO. They were all up early the next morning, and breakfasted at an early
hour. "I have not been so used to exercise, Ready, and therefore I feel it
more," replied William, wiping his face with his handkerchief. "What do you expect to find, Ready?" "Yes, William; I have been told that seeds may remain hundreds of years
under-ground, and come up afterwards when exposed to the heat." Come back, dogs; lie down." "The weather is very fine, Ready." I did not
like to say so before your mother, she is so anxious about you." "But I have, William. Look, the pods are just formed; it will
be useful to us in cooking, as we have no pepper left. "What is that rough-looking sort of shrub out there, Ready?" "I can't see so well as you, William, so let us walk up to it. Oh, I
know it now; it is what they call the prickly pear in the West Indies. I am very glad to have found that, for it will be very useful to us." "Is it good eating, Ready?" "What is this plant, Ready?" William pulled a branch of the plant off, and carried it with him. "I ought to know that tree," said he. Yes, it's the guava." said William. "Yes, the very same." "Let us now walk in the direction of those five or six trees," said
William; "and from there down to the rocks; I want to find out how it is
that they are so white." "Be it so, if you wish," replied Ready. such a chattering, it must be
monkeys." As soon as they came under the trees, there was a great rioting and
fluttering, and then away flew, screaming as loud as they could, a flock
of about three hundred parrots, their beautiful green and blue feathers
glistening in the beams of the sun. do they make good pies, Ready?" "The ground is very swampy just here, Ready; is it not?" "Yes; there's plenty of water below, I don't doubt. "Why, what are they, Ready?" "How do you mean, Ready?" cried William, who had been stooping down to examine the
yam plant, and who was startled at the noise. "Why, it's our pigs, isn't it?" replied William. "To be sure; they're in the yam patch, very busy feeding on them, I'll
be bound." "How wild they are, Ready!" said William. "Yes, and they'll be wilder every day; but we must fence these yams from
them, or we shall get none ourselves." Now, we'll go down to the sea-side." They
always come to the same place every year, if they are not disturbed." "I see no nests, Ready, nor the remains of any." "You are right, Ready; but it will be a long walk." "Yes, Ready--it is, indeed, a nice, smooth little place for the boat. What is that thing on the bottom, there?" said William, pointing in the
direction. "That is a sea crawfish, quite as good eating as a lobster. I wonder if
I could make a lobster-pot; we should catch plenty, and very good they
are." There are no fruits
at present, and all I care about are the yams; I should like to protect
them from the pigs. "Well, if we require it, I can tell you how to dress it," replied Mr
Seagrave. "This odd-looking, rough thing." "Why,
William, you should know this." "Yes, and it is so; it is the wild grape; we shall eat them by and bye." "I have only one more, papa: what is this?" As soon as they had returned to the house, a consultation was held as to
their future proceedings; and, after some debate, it was agreed that it
would be advisable that they should take the boat out of the sand; and,
as soon as it was ready, examine the reef on the southward, to see if
they could find a passage through it, as it would take a long while to
go round it; and, as soon as that was accomplished, Mr Seagrave, Ready,
William, and Juno should all go through the wood, carrying with them a
tent to pitch on the newly-discovered piece of ground: and that they
should set up a flag-staff at the little harbour, to point out its
position. As soon as they had
landed them, and secured the boat, they would then return by the path
through the wood. As soon as this important work had been completed, the boat would return
to the bay with a load of prickly pears for the garden fence, and then
they were to direct their attention to the stores which had been saved
from the wreck, and were lying in the cove where they had first landed. CHAPTER FORTY THREE. Ready walked to the rocky point, from which they fished, and sat down to
reflect. It would be cruel to raise hopes
which might end in disappointment. "There is a vessel off
the island; she may be the means of rescuing us, or she may pass without
seeing us. It would be too cruel a disappointment to your father and
mother, if the latter were the case." "Oh, Ready, how grateful I am! "I know it, William, I know it, and it is natural; they do their best to
control their yearnings, and they can do no more. But now we must be
quick, and at work before breakfast. But stop, I will show you the
vessel." "Oh yes, Ready, and she is coming this way." "Yes, she is steering right for the island. I will put the telescope
down here, and we will go about our work." "But the flags, Ready; they are round my mother's bed. "Yes, that will do, Ready." said Mr Seagrave. "Had we not better have the canvas screens down, and air them too?" "Yes," replied Ready; "we had better air everything. "With all my heart," replied Mr Seagrave. "I trust she will not be afraid," replied William. "About five miles; not more. As soon as the cocoa-nut leaves were lighted, Ready and William threw
water upon them, so as to damp them and procure a heavy column of smoke. He immediately
ran back to the house, crying out, "Papa! Ready, why did you not tell us this before?" "Does she see us, Ready?" "No, sir, not yet, and I waited till she did, before I made it known to
you," replied Ready. "She is altering her course, Ready," said William. "No, madam; but she does not see us yet." cried William, throwing up his hat; "see, she
hoists her ensign." As soon as they were a little more composed, Ready observed: "Mr
Seagrave, that they have seen us is certain, and what we must now do is
to get our own boat out of the sand. We know the passage through the
reefs, and they do not. "I am sorry to say, sir, that I do. It would be very imprudent if they
did. However, sir, a few hours will decide." "She is leaving us," exclaimed William, mournfully. said Mr Seagrave, with indignation. The gale rises
fast, and it would be very dangerous for them to remain where they now
are. CHAPTER FORTY FOUR. The countenance of Mr Seagrave was
not only gloomy, but morose. "Oh, no! "Come, my dear, let us go to bed." As soon as he had
closed the book, "good night" were all the words that passed, and they
all retired to rest. Ready was dressed before daylight, and out on the beach before the sun
had risen. "There is but poor comfort in all that," replied Mr Seagrave. "In what, Ready?" "It's a canoe, William, and there
are people in it." "Why, where can they have come from? Let us go towards them, Ready." "Yes," replied William, "they will soon be in smoother water; but the
surf on the beach is very heavy." "Let's drag the canoe higher up, William. "It is so," replied Mr Seagrave; "but to tell the truth, I am not over
pleased at their arrival. We may look out for her; at all events, for
the next week I shall not give up all hopes." "A whole week, Ready! how true it is, that hope deferred maketh
the heart sick." They ate a little and then lay
down, and were soon sound asleep. "Where shall we put them to-night, Ready?" As he was thus
occupied, William came down to him. "This is bad, William; this is worse than the vessel not coming back." "Why, we can do without them, Ready." CHAPTER FORTY FIVE. We have had a heavy shock, but it is now time that we recover from it,
and put our own shoulders to the wheel." "I feel that, and have felt it for some time," replied Mr Seagrave. Now, sir, you know what we
had arranged to do, but which we have not done; I think the cocoa-nut
rails will take too much time, and it will be sufficient to make a ditch
and hedge round the yams; but it will be very tedious if we are to go
backwards and forwards to do the work, and Mrs Seagrave and the
children will be left alone. "Yes, sir. said William. As soon as we have done our work at the yam plantation,
and made everything as comfortable there as we can, I think we may then
leave Mrs Seagrave and the children in the tents, and work here. "How do you propose to fortify it, Ready?" said Mr Seagrave; "I hardly
know." "That I will explain to you by and by, sir. "That there is no doubt of, sir. "Let us not lose an hour, Ready; we have lost too much time already,"
replied Mr Seagrave. "After breakfast, William and I will take the boat, and try for the
passage. We shall be back, I hope, by dinner-time." CHAPTER FORTY SIX. "We are in very deep water now," observed William, after a long silence. Suppose we leave off rowing for a minute, and
look about us." Let us pull in." "Now, then, William, we will step the mast, and sail back at our
leisure." "Stop one moment, Ready; give me the boat-hook. "That will be an addition to our dinner," said Ready; "we do not go back
empty-handed, and, therefore, as the saying is, we shall be more
welcome; now, then, let us start, for we must pull here again this
afternoon, and with a full cargo on board." replied Tommy. "I'll eat him, for he tried to eat me." "Why did you not leave the animal alone, Tommy?" said Mr Seagrave; "if
you had not tormented it, it would not have bitten you; I don't know
whether you ought to have any." "I don't like it; I won't have any," replied Tommy. CHAPTER FORTY SEVEN. As soon as the meal was over, Mr Seagrave and Juno assisted them in
carrying down the canvas and poles for the tent, with shovels to clear
away, and the pegs to fix the tents up properly. "You are right, William," replied Ready; "let us see what Juno can give
us to eat, and then we will do as you say, for the sooner we are all
there the better." As soon as they had landed all the things, they made the boat fast by
the rope, and then carried a portion of the canvas and tent-poles up to
the first copse of trees, which were the guavas; they then returned for
the remainder, and after three trips everything was up. the
ground is higher there, and the water is, you know, between the bananas
and the yams." They were soon hard at work, and long before sunset one tent was ready,
and they had put their bedding in it. "Yes, Ready, we can do that before we get our supper." "There'll be no want of water, Ready, if it is only fit to drink." "I've no fear of that," replied Ready. They were soon fast
asleep, for they were tired out with the hard work which they had gone
through. As soon as they had washed themselves, they went back and made their
breakfast, and then set to work to get up the other tent. They then
cleared all the ground near the tents of brushwood and high grass, and
levelled it nicely with their shovels inside. In another hour the fireplace was completed, and Ready and William
looked at their work. Well, now I suppose we had better
leave everything here, and go back. CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT. The boat was well loaded that afternoon, and they had a heavy pull
round, and hard work afterwards to carry all the articles up. It was late before the dinner was ready, and they were all very glad to
go early to bed. I like the change, Ready, and
shall be sorry when we have to go back again." "Now I must go, and help Juno to cut up the turtle," said Ready. said Mr Seagrave. "We must not be
idle." "That will be a very good plan, Ready. "Yes, Ready, I wish to go. "No, sir, we will take them round to the storehouse. CHAPTER FORTY NINE. As the ground was soft and swampy, the labour was
very easy. "I'll try if I cannot shoot a pig or two," said William. "Let it be a young one, then; we must not kill the old ones. "And very natural that they should, Mr Seagrave; I feel it also. Why,
sir, do you know that I feel unhappy even about the poor ship. Now, sir, I feel
quite melancholy when I see her planks and timbers lying about here. But, sir, if we cannot help feeling as we do, it is our duty to check
the feeling, so that it does not get the mastery over us. We can do no
more." "Why, the pigs have been at work here!" Now, sir, we will see what condition the
stores are in. But now let us go to dinner, and to work afterwards." CHAPTER FIFTY. said Mr Seagrave, pointing to the first at hand. "I have no idea, Ready; but your axe will decide the point." "This is indeed a treasure, Ready. "I can tell what that is by the outside; it is oil, and very acceptable,
for our candles are nearly out. "What is that, Ready?" "Here's some more of my plunder, as the Americans say. "I really had quite forgotten them, Ready. "I am very tired, Ready, and shall be glad to do as you propose. Here are one or two,
sir." CHAPTER FIFTY ONE. "That's unfortunate, sir." "We will sling it on the musket, sir, and it will not be very heavy. It
is one of those born on the island, and a very fine fellow for his age." The pig was soon slung, and they carried it between them. "Why, very good, Ready. We had
one for breakfast and dinner to-day, and it was excellent." "No; I took Juno with me. She pulls very well, Ready." "She is a handy girl, William. As soon as they were at the tents, Ready hung up the pig to the cross
pole of the tent in which he and William and Mr Seagrave slept, and
having propped the muskets up against the side of the tent, he went with
William to get his knife and some stretchers of wood to open the pig
with. Tommy, you must not touch the gun," cried Caroline; "papa will be
very angry." "I don't care," replied Tommy. "Don't, Tommy," cried Caroline; "if you do, I'll go and tell mamma." "Then I'll shoot you," replied Tommy, trying to point the musket at her. "Musket knocked me down," cried Tommy, sobbing as the blood ran out of
his mouth. "I won't touch it again," cried Tommy, blubbering. He was undressed, and put to bed, and was soon fast asleep. "He pointed it at me, and tried to shoot me," said Caroline, "but I ran
away." cried Mrs Seagrave. CHAPTER FIFTY TWO. "Well, mamma, I suppose I must write by the penny post, to let you know
how I am." "Don't laugh at me, William. I do wish there was a penny post, and that
you could write every day." They were now to
pull to the bay, and leave their luggage, and then go round to the cove. As they shoved off, William took the dog Remus into the boat. he will be of use here in keeping the
pigs away, but of no use to us." "Yes, he will, Ready; I must take him; for I have an idea come into my
head, so let me have my own way." They hoisted the sail, and as the breeze was fresh, were round to the
bay in a very short time. As soon as they arrived at the cove, they lost no time in loading the
boat; the nails, and iron work of every description, with the twine and
tools, composed the major part of the first cargo; and calling Remus,
who was lying on the sandy beach, they shoved off, hoisted their sail,
and in an hour had regained the bay, and passed through the reef. Your affectionate son, WILLIAM." "_Go back_, Remus--_go back_, sir." CHAPTER FIFTY THREE. As soon as they had carried up the whole of the cargo, they secured the
boat, and went up to the house to sleep. Just as they went in, Remus
came bounding up to them with a letter round his neck. I think not. Let me see." Write every day, and God bless you; it was very clever of you and Remus. Your affectionate mother, SELINA SEAGRAVE." "So he does, sir. Seriously, William, it may prove very useful." "Here I suppose we ought to say, up with the parrots; for they are the
only land birds on the island." The boat was soon
loaded, and they returned under sail. As soon as
they were in the house, William wrote on a piece of paper:--
"Dear Mamma:--We have brought round two cargoes to-day. All well, and
very tired. Yours, WILLIAM." William patted him, and
said, "Good dog. Now, Remus, go back--go home, sir;" and the dog wagged
his tail, and set off immediately. "How fast he must run, Ready! "No. "I must teach Romulus and Vixen to do the same, mamma." "And I'll teach the puppies," said Tommy. How does the ditch
and hedge get on, Mr Seagrave?" "It is my duty to work, Ready; and I may add, it is a pleasure." This is an error. "That is very true, Mr Seagrave," observed Ready. "I will, my dear boy; but we had better defer it till another evening. It is now time to go to bed." CHAPTER FIFTY FOUR. In the first place, they have
memory, especially memory of persons and places, quite as tenacious as
our own. Another proof of memory in animals, were it
required, is that they dream. They have also association of ideas, which is, in fact, reasoning. Promise him rewards, and he
will make wonderful exertion. The elephants were employed to transport the heavy artillery in
India. The elephant, the horse, the dog,
the pig, even birds may be taught a great deal." "I was about to come to that very point, William. "Yes, papa, I perceive the difference." CHAPTER FIFTY FIVE. They worked hard during the week, and on Saturday they
had completed their task; with the exception of a portion of the timbers
of the ship, everything had been brought round, but had not been carried
up to the storehouse, as that required more time. "Well, I think you have explained it very well, Ready. "I am, sir, and that's the truth." Suppose the
savages were to overrun the island, and find my mother, my little
brother, and sister, defenceless, at the time we were obliged to retreat
from our house; how dreadful that would be!" "So we can all together, unless we are surprised in the night." "You are very late, William," said Mrs Seagrave. CHAPTER FIFTY SIX. It is usual to say, as
stupid as an ass, or as stupid as a pig, or a goose. Now, these three
animals are very much maligned, for they are all sagacious animals. said William. "Of course it does, not only with animals, but with trees, plants, and
even man, until he is accustomed to the change. "Fish, papa! "Yes, my dear boy, such is the fact. "But a goat has no wool, papa." "I see now, papa. "There is but one remark to make, William, which is, that animals
indigenous to, that is, originally to be found in, any one portion of
the globe, invariably are so fashioned as to be most fit for that
country, and have the food also most proper for them growing or to be
obtained in that country. But it is late, my
dear William; so we will first thank Him for all his mercies, and then
to bed." CHAPTER FIFTY SEVEN. At last, Ready, to get rid of him, sent him down with a large bundle to
the beach. Do you know I feel as
if I were coming home, now that we are back to the bay. I found the pigeons among the
peas, Ready, so we must pick them as soon as we can. As soon as the line of trees had been marked out, they set to work
cutting down all the trees within the line, and then outside to a
distance of ten yards, so as to give them room for their work. They worked very hard that day, and were not sorry to go to
bed. You take the night part, and I will do the morning part of the
watching." CHAPTER FIFTY EIGHT. I will go and see." I insist upon it. He will obey you. I insist upon it, sir." "Oh, father!" said William, "if that good old man is lost, I shall never
forgive myself. He has no chance. See, he is again in deep water. At last Ready had gained the reef, and had his hands upon the rocks, and
was climbing on them. "He is safe, is he not?" In another minute Ready was over the rocks, and had seized the gunnel of
the boat. "He is in the boat," cried William. It is fortunate they are here." "See, he has the boat-hook, and is pushing the boat off the reef into
the deep water. he is quite safe now." Such, however, was not the case. This was immediately done by Mr
Seagrave and William, aided by Juno and Mrs Seagrave. As soon as Ready landed, William sprang into his arms, crying, "Thank
God, you are safe, Ready!" "No, I think not. "Certainly, Ready; but Tommy is my brother, and I felt that it was more
my duty than yours to risk my life for him." CHAPTER FIFTY NINE. "I won't go into the boat any more," said Tommy. As soon as this was all complete, the storehouse was
to be altered for a dwelling-house, by taking away the wattles of
cocoa-nut boughs on the sides, and filling them up with logs of
cocoa-nut trees. "Yes; and what a comfort it is to have so many shelves about. We have plenty of work still to do, but we can
work outside of the stockade." said William. "All but that large one, William; we shall want that. "What for, Ready?" "To put water in." "I understand, Ready; how thoughtful you are!" "If at my age I did not think a little, William, it would be very odd. "But why should we not come in, Ready?" "Be it so, Ready; you are the best judge; to-morrow we will take up our
quarters in the stockade." This was
very spacious, and, of course, quite dry, and contained all they wished
to put in. "And the bananas and the guavas," said Tommy. Good-night, ma'am,--good-night, sir. Come, William." It was
also a very busy week at the house, as they had not washed linen for
some time. "I had quite forgotten it, William. I will go for the spade." Having procured the yams, they set off on their return. The fruit was very
welcome to all of them, it was so long since they had tasted any. "That will be bad for us to-morrow, Ready," replied William. "Very well, I am always glad of your company." "Sails of what, Ready?" said William, hastily. "Yes, I have them now," replied William, with his eye to the glass. At
last he said:
"Why, there are twenty or thirty of them, Ready, at least." "And with twenty or thirty men in each too, William." "What must we do, Ready? "Yes, William, we can do a great deal, and we must do a great deal. "How fast they come down, Ready; why, they will be here in an hour." "No, sir, nor in two hours either; those are very large canoes. However, there is no time to be lost. Call Juno, and she
will help you. After you
have done that, you had better come down and join us." "It is,
indeed, dreadful odds to contend against." "I think, sir," said Ready, "we had better not wait here any more, as we
have not long to prepare for them. The casks they certainly
will, for the sake of the iron hoops. As soon as
they arrived, they found William and Juno had just brought in the powder
and cartridges. We have plenty of time for all we wish to
do. "Yes; and then you have to load them," replied Mrs Seagrave. "Juno and
I can do that at all events, ready for you to fire them." "An excellent idea, madam," replied Ready. In half an hour six turtles were brought up by Juno and William, and
then Ready followed them into the stockade. As soon as the children were dressed, Mr Seagrave called Ready, who was
outside, watching the canoes, and they went to their morning devotions,
and prayed heartily for succour in this time of need. They then
breakfasted in haste; for, as may be supposed, they were almost too
anxious to eat. "This suspense is worse than all," said Mrs Seagrave. Come, William." "Very likely, sir, a canoe which has separated from the others during
the night. Come, quick, William, they have begun to yell." Yes, it is, I am sure." "You are right, William, it is one of them. "But take care they don't hit you, Ready." "No great fear of that, William. Here they come." "Oh, no, madam, not yet; they will try us every way before they leave
us. "Are they all gone, Ready?" said William, who had come down from the
plank to his mother. "No; I see them between the trees now; they are sitting round in a
circle, and, I suppose, making speeches." "Oh, Massa! oh, Missy! "This is a very awkward thing, Mr Seagrave," observed Ready gravely. "This is a very bad business, Ready," observed Mr Seagrave. "Why, what can we do, Ready?" Some of them were
nearly in, this time. We shall then see where they are trying for an entrance, and
where to aim with our muskets." "True, Ready. The poor children suffered much; and little Albert wailed and cried for
"water, water." "I trust that they will now re-embark, and leave the island," said Mr
Seagrave. "I only wish they may, sir; it is not at all impossible; but there is no
saying. "Yes, that is very true; but will not anyone be very much exposed if he
climbs up?" "Certainly there may be, sir, and therefore until daylight we will not
begin." "I can't sleep, Ready. I'm mad with thirst," replied William. I pity them most." Little Caroline only drooped, and said nothing. "I wish I could think so, Ready; it would make me very happy; but I have
come out to take the watch, Ready. "I will, sir, if you please, take a little sleep. "I am too anxious to sleep; I think so, at least." "I trust that boy will be spared, Ready." "I hope so too; but we are all in the hands of the Almighty." As soon as Ready had got out the
spike-nails and hammer, he summoned William to his assistance, and they
commenced driving them into the cocoa-nut tree, one looking out in case
of the savages approaching, while the other was at work. "No; I did not look about very much, but I will go up again directly. My lips are burning, Ready, and swelled; the skin is peeling off. I was in hopes
of finding a cocoa-nut or two on the tree, but there was not one." I wish now that you would go up again,
and see if they are not stirring." I could not make
it out well, but they seem all doing the same thing." I
should not think much of their attempt to burn us, if it were not for
the smoke. said William. "Of course," replied William; "but they are not in yet, and they shall
have a hard fight for it." As soon as Mr Seagrave had gone into the house, Ready called William,
and said, "William, water we must have. We shall literally die of choking in the smoke, if
they use fire. I may succeed, and I may
not, but attempt it I must, and if I fall it cannot be helped." "Why not let me go, Ready?" replied William. Watch my return, and be all ready to let me in. "There is no help for it, William. Yes, it was so. Ready was returning, and
without any accident. He immediately threw down the pole, and opened it just as
Ready called him by name. In a second William levelled and fired, and
the savage fell dead. "Take the water in quick, William," said Ready in a faint voice. "Are you hurt, Ready?" said William. Water, quick, water!" that we had some," said Mr Seagrave. "We have, papa," replied William; "but it has cost us dearly." Do as I beg of you." "I will, my boy," replied Mr Seagrave; "but first drink yourself." Ready whispered, "More water." As soon as they laid him there, Ready turned on his
side, and threw up a quantity of blood. "Where is that brave, kind man?" cried she, "that I may bless him and
thank him." "He is hurt, my
dear; and very much hurt. I did not tell you at the time." Leave me now, Mr Seagrave; I shall be better if I doze a
little." "This is a sad business, William," said Mr Seagrave. "He would not let me go," replied he; "I wish
he had. "I feel the same, but still with such a force against us, two people
cannot do much." "Perhaps so; at all events we will do our best, for we fight for our
lives and for those most dear to us." "How do you find yourself, Ready?" said William. I cannot live, and were you to move me, I should only die the
sooner." "I had rather die with you, than leave you, Ready." "I point out to you your duty, William. Here they come,
William, in a swarm. "It can be nothing else; we are saved, and by a miracle!" As soon as he was down, he commenced unbarring the door of the stockade. As soon as she did, she opened the fire of her carronades, and the
result is already known. "Island very nice place, all very happy till savage come. Suppose they not kill old Ready, I not care." "Oh, Massa!" Massa Tommy, all because you idle
boy." He provided for
our wants, added to our comforts, instructed us how to make the best use
of our means. "I feel as if I had lost a stay or prop," replied Mrs Seagrave. "Yes," replied Mrs Seagrave; "I feel the truth of all you have just
said. Few words were exchanged, for there was a
solemn grief upon all of them. In half an hour all was prepared, and the family were summoned from the
house. "Come, my dear," said Mr Seagrave to his wife. PS.